Paper Beads

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I’ve always wanted to try making paper beads but have never gotten around to it. Today our contributor Shannon from Oh Creative Day is teaching us how to make them by upcycling old picture books. Delutter, cute craft – win win!

Making your own paper beads is a project perfect for any season. If you’re facing the long, lazy days of Summer holidays, this is a perfect activity for staying cool and out of the heat. If the temperatures are dropping and you just want to stay snug inside, this is a great indoor activity too. Making paper beads is also a great way to recycle paper and fashion them into a creation of your own imagining.

How to make your own paper beads

You will need:

If we have picture books that are too battered and tattered to donate to charity, we use them to make paper beads. The paper weight is just perfect!

How to make your own paper beads:

1) Cut your paper so that you have a wide end leading to a pointy end. You will end up with long, triangular strips.
The wider you cut, the bigger the bead.
It’s a good idea to cut all your strips first. Once you introduce the glue, your fingers will get pretty sticky. Be sure to cover your work space with newspaper or a plastic tablecloth and have a damp cloth nearby for your sticky fingers.

2) Paint glue onto one side of your triangular strip of paper. This is the inner side of your bead.

3) Curl the wide end of your triangular strip around a skewer. Use your other hand to spin the skewer so that you can wrap the paper around itself.
Don’t wrap too tightly- you need to be able to slide the bead off the skewer!

Use extra glue to stick the thin end down. Slide the bead off the skewer and coat the outside of the bead in glue.

4) Lay your beads on baking paper to dry.

Once your beads have dried, you can do so many things with them.
Thread them onto pipe cleaners or yarn to create jewellery.
Use jewellery wire to create different shapes and thread the beads onto the wire.

So many possibilities!

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Shannon

Shannon is a mum and a teacher who believes that reading and creative outlets are as important as breathing. She harbours the desire to be a published picture book author. But first she needs to figure out what's on for dinner. Shannon blogs at Oh Creative Day where she celebrates her perfectly imperfect attempts to live a creative life. AKA trying to remain sane whilst raising 3 kids under 4. She has an unhealthy addiction to Instagram, coffee and pom poms and is vehemently opposed to glitter. According to her husband, she cannot pack the dishwasher properly. Like, ever.

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I’m basically a big kid who never grew up and still loves to muck around with paint, glitter, glue and toilet rolls. With the crafts shared here on this website I’m hoping to give other parents and carers inspiration to get crafty with their kids at home – make our projects, or use them as a source of inspiration to spark ideas of your own. When it comes to crafting no rules apply!